INVENTOR
Ruth Handler
1916 - 2002

Ruth Handler
Ruth Marianna Handler (née Mosko; November 4, 1916 – April 27, 2002) was an American business magnate and inventor. She is best known for inventing the Barbie doll in 1959 and being co-founder of toy manufacturer Mattel with her husband Elliot, as well as serving as the company's first president from 1945 to 1975. The Handlers were forced to resign from Mattel in 1975 after the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated the company for falsifying financial documents. Handler was prominently characterized in the 2023 film Barbie. Read more on Wikipedia
Her biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ruth Handler is the 72nd most popular inventor (down from 42nd in 2019), the 984th most popular biography from United States (down from 387th in 2019) and the 24th most popular American Inventor.
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Among INVENTORS
Among inventors, Ruth Handler ranks 72 out of 426. Before her are Isaac Singer, Alberto Santos-Dumont, John Deere, Henry Fox Talbot, Josephine Cochrane, and Les Paul. After her are Claude Chappe, George Eastman, Léon Theremin, Jacques Piccard, James Naismith, and John Browning.
Most Popular Inventors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsIsaac Singer
1811 - 1875
HPI: 71.04
Rank: 66
Alberto Santos-Dumont
1873 - 1932
HPI: 70.97
Rank: 67
John Deere
1804 - 1886
HPI: 70.77
Rank: 68
Henry Fox Talbot
1800 - 1877
HPI: 70.63
Rank: 69
Josephine Cochrane
1839 - 1913
HPI: 70.52
Rank: 70
Les Paul
1915 - 2009
HPI: 70.39
Rank: 71
Ruth Handler
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 72
Claude Chappe
1763 - 1805
HPI: 70.15
Rank: 73
George Eastman
1854 - 1932
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 74
Léon Theremin
1896 - 1993
HPI: 70.06
Rank: 75
Jacques Piccard
1922 - 2008
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 76
James Naismith
1861 - 1939
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 77
John Browning
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 78
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1916, Ruth Handler ranks 34. Before her are Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Walt Whitman Rostow, Tsutomu Yamaguchi, Alexander Prokhorov, Paul Keres, and Vitaly Ginzburg. After her are Natalia Ginzburg, Abdul Rahman Arif, Robert F. Furchgott, Bernard Lewis, Emil Gilels, and Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal. Among people deceased in 2002, Ruth Handler ranks 31. Before her are Linda Lovelace, Alexander Prokhorov, Max Perutz, Victor Weisskopf, Nándor Hidegkuti, and Valeriy Lobanovskyi. After her are Edsger W. Dijkstra, Geraldine of Albania, Choi Hong Hi, Robert Nozick, Juan Alberto Schiaffino, and James Tobin.
Others Born in 1916
Go to all RankingsSirimavo Bandaranaike
POLITICIAN
1916 - 2000
HPI: 71.36
Rank: 28
Walt Whitman Rostow
ECONOMIST
1916 - 2003
HPI: 71.27
Rank: 29
Tsutomu Yamaguchi
ENGINEER
1916 - 2010
HPI: 71.16
Rank: 30
Alexander Prokhorov
PHYSICIST
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.80
Rank: 31
Paul Keres
CHESS PLAYER
1916 - 1975
HPI: 70.57
Rank: 32
Vitaly Ginzburg
PHYSICIST
1916 - 2009
HPI: 70.47
Rank: 33
Ruth Handler
INVENTOR
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 34
Natalia Ginzburg
WRITER
1916 - 1991
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 35
Abdul Rahman Arif
POLITICIAN
1916 - 2007
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 36
Robert F. Furchgott
CHEMIST
1916 - 2009
HPI: 69.53
Rank: 37
Bernard Lewis
HISTORIAN
1916 - 2018
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 38
Emil Gilels
MUSICIAN
1916 - 1985
HPI: 68.84
Rank: 39
Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal
POLITICIAN
1916 - 1991
HPI: 68.74
Rank: 40
Others Deceased in 2002
Go to all RankingsLinda Lovelace
PORNOGRAPHIC ACTOR
1949 - 2002
HPI: 71.12
Rank: 25
Alexander Prokhorov
PHYSICIST
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.80
Rank: 26
Max Perutz
CHEMIST
1914 - 2002
HPI: 70.72
Rank: 27
Victor Weisskopf
PHYSICIST
1908 - 2002
HPI: 70.58
Rank: 28
Nándor Hidegkuti
SOCCER PLAYER
1922 - 2002
HPI: 70.52
Rank: 29
Valeriy Lobanovskyi
COACH
1939 - 2002
HPI: 70.25
Rank: 30
Ruth Handler
INVENTOR
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 31
Edsger W. Dijkstra
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1930 - 2002
HPI: 70.14
Rank: 32
Geraldine of Albania
COMPANION
1915 - 2002
HPI: 69.95
Rank: 33
Choi Hong Hi
MARTIAL ARTS
1918 - 2002
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 34
Robert Nozick
PHILOSOPHER
1938 - 2002
HPI: 69.33
Rank: 35
Juan Alberto Schiaffino
SOCCER PLAYER
1925 - 2002
HPI: 69.24
Rank: 36
James Tobin
ECONOMIST
1918 - 2002
HPI: 69.22
Rank: 37
In United States
Among people born in United States, Ruth Handler ranks 984 out of 20,380. Before her are Kevin Bacon (1958), Vanessa Williams (1963), Louise Fletcher (1934), Glenn Miller (1904), DMX (1970), and Theodore Schultz (1902). After her are Sinclair Lewis (1885), Chet Baker (1929), Renée Zellweger (1969), Stanley B. Prusiner (1942), Russell Alan Hulse (1950), and Woody Guthrie (1912).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsKevin Bacon
ACTOR
1958 - Present
HPI: 70.24
Rank: 978
Vanessa Williams
ACTOR
1963 - Present
HPI: 70.24
Rank: 979
Louise Fletcher
ACTOR
1934 - 2022
HPI: 70.23
Rank: 980
Glenn Miller
MUSICIAN
1904 - 1944
HPI: 70.23
Rank: 981
DMX
SINGER
1970 - 2021
HPI: 70.23
Rank: 982
Theodore Schultz
ECONOMIST
1902 - 1998
HPI: 70.22
Rank: 983
Ruth Handler
INVENTOR
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 984
Sinclair Lewis
WRITER
1885 - 1951
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 985
Chet Baker
MUSICIAN
1929 - 1988
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 986
Renée Zellweger
ACTOR
1969 - Present
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 987
Stanley B. Prusiner
BIOLOGIST
1942 - Present
HPI: 70.20
Rank: 988
Russell Alan Hulse
ASTRONOMER
1950 - Present
HPI: 70.19
Rank: 989
Woody Guthrie
MUSICIAN
1912 - 1967
HPI: 70.19
Rank: 990
Among INVENTORS In United States
Among inventors born in United States, Ruth Handler ranks 24. Before her are Willis Carrier (1876), Theodore Maiman (1927), Isaac Singer (1811), John Deere (1804), Josephine Cochrane (1839), and Les Paul (1915). After her are George Eastman (1854), John Browning (1855), Ray Tomlinson (1941), Raymond Damadian (1936), Leo Fender (1909), and Elisha Otis (1811).
Willis Carrier
1876 - 1950
HPI: 71.24
Rank: 18
Theodore Maiman
1927 - 2007
HPI: 71.14
Rank: 19
Isaac Singer
1811 - 1875
HPI: 71.04
Rank: 20
John Deere
1804 - 1886
HPI: 70.77
Rank: 21
Josephine Cochrane
1839 - 1913
HPI: 70.52
Rank: 22
Les Paul
1915 - 2009
HPI: 70.39
Rank: 23
Ruth Handler
1916 - 2002
HPI: 70.21
Rank: 24
George Eastman
1854 - 1932
HPI: 70.10
Rank: 25
John Browning
1855 - 1926
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 26
Ray Tomlinson
1941 - 2016
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 27
Raymond Damadian
1936 - 2022
HPI: 68.65
Rank: 28
Leo Fender
1909 - 1991
HPI: 68.21
Rank: 29
Elisha Otis
1811 - 1861
HPI: 67.78
Rank: 30